Watch the Push for another Big Earmark for the Silver Line

The great thing about the U.S. is that the voters always get the final say. Some of my votes were on the winning side, while others lost. But people voted for change yesterday. They are sick of their elected officials listening first and foremost to lobbyists.

We need lobbying reform. While I don't expect the Democrats in Congress to do any better than the GOP on this issue, I'm willing to give them the chance. One of the first places for reform is to reduce earmarks substantially. No more big funding for special projects in appropriations bills.

This includes the ongoing attempt by the big Tysons landowners through the McLean Chamber of Commerce and tysonstunnel.org to run around the Federal Transit Authority's cost-benefit rules to get an earmark for the construction of a big and expensive tunnel through Tysons for the Silver Line. If the tunnel supporters can demonstrate that the tunnel would cost no more than the elevated line and provide adequate assurances that residential taxpayers would not foot the bill for the project that does not improve traffic congestion, more power to them. But that is unlikely. What many fear is that they are really seeking an earmark. That's wrong whether done by Republicans or by Democrats. Let's hope that all elected officials let the process work. No Silver Line earmark.